{"id":1168,"date":"2012-10-01T20:43:31","date_gmt":"2012-10-01T20:43:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.net\/blog\/?p=1168"},"modified":"2012-10-01T20:43:31","modified_gmt":"2012-10-01T20:43:31","slug":"pet-anxiety-disorders-manageable-with-medication-and-training","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/2012\/10\/pet-anxiety-disorders-manageable-with-medication-and-training\/","title":{"rendered":"Pet anxiety disorders manageable with medication and training"},"content":{"rendered":"
Dogs, cats and even birds can suffer from anxiety disorders, explain veterinarians Mike Heinen and Alycen Adams. Medications prescribed by a veterinarian and designed for pets can help them cope with stressful conditions, such as thunderstorms or separation anxiety, especially when combined with behavioral modification, said Dr. Heinen. The Herald Weekly (Huntersville, N.C.)<\/a><\/address>\n

<\/p>\n

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by Tori Hamby<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

With so many behavioral treatments for pets \u2013 from dog whisperers to medication and expensive training programs \u2013 exasperated owners might have difficulty sifting through their options.<\/p>\n

Like humans, pets can suffer from a variety of mental disorders that cause behavioral problems, veterinarians say. These disorders \u2013 including obsessive compulsive and anxiety disorders, and even Alzheimer\u2019s disease \u2013 can show themselves in a pet\u2019s predilection to tear up the house when left alone, tendency to urinate when panicked, aggression or other destructive behaviors.<\/p>\n

\u201cPretty much anything you see in human behavior, we have on the animal side as well,\u201d said Mike Heinen, owner of Lake Norman Animal Hospital in Mooresville.<\/p>\n

Alycen Adams, a veterinarian at Carolinas Veterinary Care Clinic in Huntersville, said symptoms of OCD in pets include walking in circles to the point where paws become bloody and, in cats, excessive grooming. OCD is also common in birds, which pick at their feathers as a result.<\/p>\n

Dogs that have traditionally been bred to perform jobs \u2013 such as Golden Shepherds and Border Collies \u2013 often have an overabundance of energy, which can manifest itself as anxiety, Adams said. When left home alone that anxiety can trigger destructive behavior.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s like a high energy person with nothing to do,\u201d Adams said. \u201cThey are going to cause mischief.\u201d<\/p>\n

Separation anxiety is also especially pronounced in dogs, Adams said, who have poor concepts of time. The sound of an owner\u2019s key jingling at the door, for instance, can trick a dog into thinking their owners will be gone forever.<\/p>\n

Medication options<\/strong><\/p>\n

The most effective behavior modification regimens, he said, combine medication and behavioral therapy. Pets can use medication to improve their coping skills, increasing the chances that non-medical treatment \u2013 such as reinforcing positive behavior through treats or attention \u2013 will stick.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can use medicine to break the pattern and help the animal realize \u2018hey, I can cope with this; it isn\u2019t so bad,\u2019\u201d Heinen said. \u201cThen we get them over that small phobia.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA cat who has had a urinary tract infection can develop a fear of its litter box because of the pain it associates with it,\u201d Adams said. \u201c(Medicine) can ease that aversion.\u201d<\/p>\n

There are also drug treatments available for short-term anxiety-induced behaviors caused by thunderstorms or loud noises. Alprazolam and diazepam, known to humans as Xanax and Valium, can be administered temporarily.<\/p>\n

Owners can give their pets a dose of these drugs about 24 hours before a thunderstorm is predicted to hit or Fourth of July fireworks go off in the pet\u2019s surrounding neighborhood.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese pet aren\u2019t lying in the corner drooling like a vegetable when they are on these medications,\u201d Adams said.<\/p>\n

Other alternatives<\/strong><\/p>\n

Just as a number of natural treatments are available to humans for stress, anxiety or depression, pets may also benefit from these remedies. The scent of lavender, a flower known for its calming affects on humans, can sooth an anxious pet, Heinen said.<\/p>\n

Facial pheromones are available for cats in sprays or plug-in diffuser devices. These chemicals are synthetic versions of naturally occurring familiarization pheromones used to mark objects in its surroundings as familiar.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey make animals feel like they have their own little baby blankets,\u201d Heinen said.<\/p>\n

To prepare dogs for thunderstorms, owners can play sounds of thunder, wind and rain at low volumes to acclimate pets to startling noises, Adams said. Owners can gradually turn the volume up until the dog no longer becomes anxious during storms.<\/p>\n

Owners can also buy a Thundershirt online at www.thundershirt.com. The gentle pressure of the snug fitting doggie jacket provides dogs with a sense of security.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have some owners who swear by it, and others who say it doesn\u2019t really make a difference,\u201d Adams said. \u201cA dogs reaction to things like the Thundershirt and pheromones really depends on the sensitivity of the dog and the severity of the problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

A warning<\/strong><\/p>\n

While pet variations of some behavioral medicines, such as Prozac, Xanax or Valium are identical to the medications a human night take, Heinen said owners should never give their pets medicine prescribed to humans. Dosage amounts and idiosyncratic properties of different drugs could have adverse affects on pets.<\/p>\n

\u201cA pinch of Tylenol will kill a cat,\u201d Heinen said. \u201cYou need the right drug and the right diagnosis.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dogs, cats and even birds can suffer from anxiety disorders, explain veterinarians Mike Heinen and Alycen Adams. Medications prescribed by a veterinarian and designed for pets can help them cope with stressful conditions, such as thunderstorms or separation anxiety, especially when combined with behavioral modification, said Dr. Heinen. The Herald Weekly (Huntersville, N.C.) by Tori […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1168","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-behavior-and-training"],"yoast_head":"\nPet anxiety disorders manageable with medication and training | The Animal Health Foundation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/2012\/10\/pet-anxiety-disorders-manageable-with-medication-and-training\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Pet anxiety disorders manageable with medication and training | The Animal Health Foundation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Dogs, cats and even birds can suffer from anxiety disorders, explain veterinarians Mike Heinen and Alycen Adams. 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